RSPCA officers in the South and South West have bared all for a cheeky calendar in a bid to raise much-needed funds.

The first ever Society calendar to feature almost-naked RSPCA inspectors and other officers is the brainchild of RSPCA chief inspector John Pollock. He wanted to find an imaginative way of raising money for animal welfare at a time when the downturn in the economy means people may be more reluctant to donate.

Chief inspector Pollock, who is based in Taunton, Somerset, said: “We have all been set the task of thinking of fundraising initiatives and I have always had the thought that this could be a good fundraiser if done properly and tastefully. Research revealed the majority of charity calendars are bought by women at Christmas as stocking fillers, so we decided to use male officers as the models for this first one – and if they sell like hotcakes, then who knows what we will do next year?”

The calendar features ten officers, a mixture of inspectors and animal collection officers from across the South and South West, with the ‘models’ being drawn from Devon, Somerset, Bristol, Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Surrey.

The aim of the calendar was to highlight the wide range of skills which RSPCA officers have, and to inform the public about the wide range of creatures and situations they deal with, including cliff and water rescues.

As well as pictures – some of which include animals rescued by the RSPCA – each page of the calendar will include information about the work of the RSPCA in the South and South West and important information about common animal welfare problems and ways the public can help.

The calendar has been made possible thanks to the bravery of the volunteer models and the skills of Plymouth Evening Herald photographer Lucy Duvall who has given up her free time to take the photographs at no cost to the RSPCA.

The RSPCA has also been lucky enough to have the support of York-based printers Fulprint who are producing the calendars at a reduced rate in order to support the society.

The calendars will be available to the public for £5 each (including postage) or three for £10. They can be purchased by sending a cheque or postal order payable to RSPCA with your order and full name and address to: Calendar Request, RSPCA RHQ, Blackhat Lane, Bakers Hill, Exeter, EX2 9TA. They can also be purchased via Ebay.

To purchase larger numbers of calendars or for further information please email askuse@rspca.org.uk or call 07715 540207.